Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 3

Ch.3 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Bubble, bubble.  

Sion and his siblings sat huddled together, waiting for Garfenn to prepare their meal. Fortunately, the food he was making looked delicious.  

Judging by his appearance alone, one might think he’d skin people alive and eat their flesh raw, but surprisingly, his cooking skills were quite gentle. 

Since it was for children, he even peeled the potatoes cleanly after washing them thoroughly. Normally, he would have just brushed off the dirt and roasted them.  

“Eat.”  

His words, however, remained brusque. He had simply thrown together some vegetables and jerky into a soup, then immediately stepped away once it was done. 

After ladling some into his own bowl, he walked off to eat alone.  

[Why are you avoiding them?]  

‘It’s uncomfortable to eat together.’  

[Are you worried the children might be scared of you?]  

‘No, Goddess.’  

[How kind you are, my Garfenn.]  

The goddess smiled warmly and gently stroked Garfenn’s cheek.  

[Time will heal things.]  

Garfenn roughly chose a spot to sit where Sion could still see him.  

“Um, can we eat now?”  

Set, the second oldest of Sion’s three siblings, swallowed hard and asked. It had been so long since they’d had warm food that he was on the verge of losing his composure.  

Sion stared at Garfenn’s retreating back for a moment before nodding.  

“I guess so. Let’s eat.”  

Sion served each of his siblings a bowl of soup. Thanks to the caravan’s plentiful supplies, the meal was hearty.  

“Tasty!”  

The youngest, Kaili, mumbled with her mouth full after wolfing down a few bites. Soup dribbled down her chin.  

“Eat a lot, Kaili.”  

Sion smiled like a dependable older brother and wiped Kaili’s mouth.  

He licked the soup off his thumb and turned to the next oldest, Ruina.  

“Why aren’t you eating, Ruina?”  

“…It just feels a little awkward eating without him.”  

Sion followed Ruina’s gaze to where Garfenn sat alone, staring at the river as he washed his already empty bowl.  

“Is he uncomfortable around us?”  

Ruina looked at Sion.  

“…I guess so.”  

She seemed to want to say more but closed her mouth. It wasn’t something to bring up lightly.  

“Should I ask him to join us?”  

Ruina nodded slightly as she stirred her soup. She was too scared to ask him herself.  

“Yeah!”  

“Right, right.”  

The other siblings also wanted to eat with Garfenn. They were traveling together, after all—it felt strange to eat separately.  

Sion stood up abruptly and approached Garfenn. Without even looking, Garfenn spoke.  

“Finished eating?”  

“No, it’s not that.”  

“Then?”  

“Won’t you eat with us?”  

Garfenn turned to look at Sion. His gaze shifted briefly to the children watching from afar before turning away again.  

“No need.”  

“Are we making you uncomfortable?”  

“…Yeah. I’m used to eating alone. Having company might make me sick.”  

Sion scratched his head.  

“Food tastes better when shared.”  

“Eating with a gruff old man like me would ruin your appetite.”  

Sion frowned as if that made no sense.  

“You might look scary, Master, but I think you’re beautiful inside. Anyone who loses their appetite from your face is the problem.”  

“…You really have no fear, do you?”  

Garfenn shut his mouth. Internally, he wished Sion would just stop talking.  

After some thought, he concluded that Sion might actually be the most wicked one here.  

If he had to name the purest form of evil in the world, it would be Sion.  

“My siblings wanted to eat together too, so I thought I’d ask. But if it makes you uncomfortable, that’s fine.”  

Sion gave an awkward smile and began backing away slowly. Garfenn’s imposing aura made it hard to press further.  

Just as Sion turned to leave, Garfenn spoke to the back of his head.  

“…Next time.”  

“Definitely.”  

As Sion walked away, the goddess spoke to Garfenn.  

[They’re such good children.]  

‘…You chose them, Goddess.’  

[They suit your temperament.]  

‘That can’t be.’  

[How adorable, seeing you flustered. My Garfenn.]  

Garfenn didn’t respond. Instead, he stared at the river more pensively than usual—  

Plop.  

Feeling awkward, he picked up a rock and threw it in for no reason.  

*** 

Sion reflected on the past.  

He had lost his family to war, been captured by slave traders, and ended up here.  

The siblings he met as a slave reminded him of his real siblings, lost to the war.  

Burdened by guilt for failing to protect his family, Sion vowed to dedicate his remaining life to protecting these children.  

And then he met Garfenn.  

Garfenn was a strong man.  

Sion wanted to become someone like him—someone so strong they could overpower others with just a glance.  

‘To think someone like him would be my master. This is a great opportunity.’  

After putting his siblings to sleep, Sion went to Garfenn. His desire for growth guided his steps.  

Garfenn sat across the campfire, watching him. Though he looked fiercer than a wild bear, he was undoubtedly a good person.  

“Can’t sleep?”  

“Old men don’t sleep much.”  

“I see.”  

“Aren’t you going to say I don’t look old?”  

“…The beard. A little.”  

Garfenn pressed his lips together tightly.  

[My future apostle has such cute moments.]  

‘Goddess. Are you mocking your great warrior?’  

[That child doesn’t seem to know that my apostle grows his beard as a matter of pride. Shouldn’t you tell him?]  

Garfenn tried to focus to block out the goddess’s laughter. It wasn’t easy.  

The goddess openly enjoyed seeing her great warrior humbled.  

“You’re not sleeping?”  

Garfenn changed the subject. Continuing would only add to his list of embarrassments.  

“Not tired yet.”  

“Nervous?”  

“Not really. I just wanted to hear more about you.”  

‘About me?’ Garfenn showed interest.  

“What do you want to know? You can learn more starting tomorrow.”  

“I was just curious about what I’ll need to do from now on.”  

“Heh. Eager, aren’t you?”  

Sion shrugged.  

“I owe you a debt.”  

“No need to rush. You’ll be repaying it for the rest of your life anyway.”  

“Yeah.”  

Sion hugged his knees and stared into the campfire. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d relaxed like this, warmed by a fire.  

Garfenn studied the boy’s youthful face before asking,  

“By the way, how did you do that earlier?”  

“Huh? Do what?”  

Garfenn crossed his arms, mimicking Sion’s move when he had disarmed the slave trader.  

‘How did I do that?’  

Sion thought hard before answering apologetically.  

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I just thought I had to do it, and somehow it worked.”  

“…Somehow, huh.”  

Garfenn pondered.  

‘Did he execute exactly what he envisioned in his mind? Incredible talent.’  

Just as the goddess had said. After decades of searching, Sion’s martial prowess was truly extraordinary.  

Garfenn pressed further—had he really never held a sword before? Had anyone taught him? His parents’ names? His lineage?  

But Sion provided no meaningful clues.  

He wasn’t from some prestigious family. He had genuinely held a sword for the first time today—and killed someone for the first time.  

‘His grip was definitely clumsy. I’ve picked up a monster beyond reason.’  

Only now did Garfenn understand why the goddess had said Sion made her jealous. This time, Achille had spoken nothing but the truth!  

‘With this child, we might truly revive the War Sect.’  

[It shall be so. And more…]  

The Goddess Achille spoke in a slightly excited voice.  

[He will become my most perfect sword.]  

Garfenn smiled without replying.  

The sword he could never become. Garfenn was strong, but not enough to meet the goddess’s standards.  

‘But this child can. Without a doubt.’  

He, too, wanted to see the goddess’s dream realized.  

Rustle.  

Suddenly, Sion’s head turned toward the bushes. He had sensed movement.  

Garfenn lowered his voice.  

“…Did you notice?”  

“Huh? Oh, I thought I heard something moving.”  

“Keep acting natural. Pretend we’re still talking.”  

“Okay.”  

Garfenn was stunned again.  

‘That was quite a distance. Even if he thought it was the wind, it wouldn’t be strange. His instincts are extraordinary.’  

Garfenn lay down.  

“I’m tired. I’m going to sleep. Clean up and rest when you’re done.”  

Sion opened his mouth to say something but stopped.  

He immediately understood Garfenn’s intent and glanced at the slave trader’s sword propped nearby.  

‘He’s telling me to deal with any thieves, right?’  

Sion closed his eyes and focused on the sounds.  

Crunch. Swish.  

With concentration, he could clearly distinguish between the wind and the sound of movement.  

‘Eight? Not animals. People.’  

Sion quietly picked up the sword and moved. He slipped into the bushes and hid.  

Knowing the intruders’ path, he circled around stealthily.  

No one noticed Sion’s silent approach. Hidden in the grass, he studied their faces.  

‘They’re definitely people.’  

Familiar faces, too—the mercenaries who had guarded the slave trader. Unpleasant memories surfaced.  

‘They harassed Ruina and kicked me in the stomach. Set got beaten too.’  

Sion’s fists clenched.  

They had been spared, yet here they were, returning to cause more trouble. He found no reason to spare them again.  

‘They’re a threat to my siblings. Kill them.’  

Squelch.  

Sion took the first one from behind, covering his mouth and swiftly driving the blade into his spine.  

A muffled groan escaped the man’s lips.  

‘They’re after the caravan’s goods.’  

Stab.  

“Ghk—”  

To ensure silence, Sion slit his throat. The attacker choked on his own blood, unable to scream.  

Sion melted back into the tall grass. His movements were as fluid as a trained assassin’s.  

Swish.  

With every rustle of the grass, another mercenary fell.  

They had feared Garfenn—not Sion.  

They hadn’t taken seriously that a slave with no combat experience had crippled the slave trader, dismissing it as the trader’s own stupidity.  

Before long, only one remained.  

Even now, the last greedy fool had no idea he was alone.  

“They’re really asleep. What happened to those slave kids? Did they kill them?”  

Tap tap.  

Muttering to himself, the man turned, thinking a comrade had tapped his shoulder. Instead, a child wiped blood from his cheek and stared at him.  

Recognition flickered in the intruder’s eyes.  

“Huh? You’re—”  

Slit.  

Sion showed no mercy. He gave no time to speak. The man’s head flew off before he could understand.  

‘Any more?’  

Sion closed his eyes and listened. Relying only on his hearing made him uneasy, so he checked several times.  

‘None left.’  

Finally reassured, Sion sat beside the corpses.  

After catching his breath, he began to search their belongings.  

‘A dagger? Cheap-looking, but whatever.’  

Sion inspected the dagger before pocketing it with its sheath. Finding nothing else useful, he moved to the next body.  

***  

[Garfenn, my warrior.]  

‘Yes, my goddess.’  

[It seems Sion has finished.]  

‘He just disappeared, didn’t he?’  

[My new great warrior seems to have a natural talent for assassination.]  

Garfenn smirked with his eyes closed.  

‘Your judgment is never wrong, Goddess.’  

[No, I was wrong.]  

‘Huh?’  

[He’s more of a monster than I thought.]  

Garfenn agreed internally. Even by his standards, Sion’s talent was extraordinary.  

[And there’s something else I’ve never seen before.]  

‘What is it?’  

The goddess sounded genuinely amazed.  

[Do you know what Sion is doing now?]  

‘Hm.’  

Garfenn listened carefully. Faint rustling sounds mixed with the wind.  

‘Don’t tell me.’  

[He’s looting the corpses.]  

‘He’s doing that so casually? After holding a sword for the first time today?’  

[Indeed.]  

Garfenn sat up and emphasized,  

‘You’re telling me the future Apostle of the Goddess of War just killed people without hesitation and is now looting their bodies without remorse?’  

[Every word is true.]  

Garfenn and the goddess spoke in unison, laughing.  

‘He’s truly an Apostle of the Goddess of war.’  

[Without a doubt, he is destined to become my great warrior.]  

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